Filling bobbin



June 18; 1963 D. BYLAKE FILLING ossm Filed Aug. 2, i961 INVENTOR. Don/v.0 L. BLAKE.

A T TORNE Y United States Patent 3,094,297 FILLING BOBBIN Donald L. Blake, Campton, N.H., assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Filed Aug. 2, 1961, Ser. No. 128,774 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-1183) This invention relates to filling bobbins of the type used in automatic bobbin changing looms and, more particularly, to improved type metallic rings encircling the butt portion thereof.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a plurality of rings on the butt portion of the bobbin which need no special positioning thereon and which present no problem insofar as migrating of said rings is concerned.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a plurality of rings on the butt portion of the bobbin which will present a continuous ring surface around the entire circumference thereof.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such rings which shall maintain a continuous ring surface around the butt portion of the bobbin during expansion and contraction thereof which result in a known manner from changes in atmospheric conditions.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed disclosure.

Filling bobbins to which the present invention relates are usually made of a non-metallic material such as wood and are comprised of a butt and a barrel portion extending therefrom. The butt includes a plurality of circumferential grooves adapted to receive thereon an equal number of metallic rings for positioning the bobbin in a known manner in notches provided in a shuttle spring Within a loom shuttle. The type of rings more commonly used on the type of filling bobbins herein described are formed from round steel wire and are tempered prior to assembly on the bobbin butt.

The rings are split and therefore do not completely encircle the butt. This condition necessitates special positioning of the rings to assure the gap of any given ring does not line up with the gap of an adjacent ring. This type of ring and the manner in which it assembles presents several undesirable conditions such, for example, as migration of the rings due to dimensional changes of the bobbins resulting from variations in atmospheric conditions. Secondly, the circular grooves in which the rings assemble often become worn to the extent that very little resistance is had in preventing ring migration. Should the gaps in the rings become aligned as a result of ring movement and the bobbin put in transferring position whereby the ring gaps would be in line with the gripping surfaces of the shuttle spring, the rings outer surfaces would not cooperate properly with these surfaces resulting in :an improper transfer and possibly sufiicient damage to prevent continued weaving.

According to the instant invention, a novel bobbin ring can now be provided which will not present the unfavorable condition hithertofore described.

This ring is adapted to assemble in the conventional circumferential grooves provided on the butt portion of the bobbin and is formed so as to present a continuous ring surface to completely encircle the bobbin butt. The ends of the ring do not present a gap between them because they are formed in such a manner so as to overlap one another and still remain in the same plane as the remaining portion of the ring. The ends of the ring are provided with sufiicient clearance to enable them to expand and contract with the bobbin when affected by changes in atmospheric conditions and still maintain a continuous ring surface around the entire butt portion of the bobbin.

3,094,297, Patented June 18, 1963 Migration of rings of the instant invention presents no problem for if the mating surfaces of the various rings become aligned there is sufficient ring surface to assure satisfactory gripping of the rings by the jaws of the shuttle spring when transferred thereinto.

The invention will be described hereinafter in greater detail by reference to the accompanying figures of drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a filling bobbin showing the invention applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 but showing the conventional type bobbin rings applied thereto and the undesirable position they can assume as a result of ring migration.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 but showing the bobbin rings of the instant invention applied thereto and the position they can assume through migration of said rings but still offer suflicient ring surface for satisfactory transferring thereof.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the invention showing the novel means of eliminating the gap between the ends of the ring.

Referring to the figures of drawing, FIG. 1 shows a bobbin indicated generally by numeral 10 which includes a butt 11 and a barrel 12 extending therefrom.

Butt 11 includes a plurality of circumferential grooves 13 partially illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 which are adapted to receive an equal number of rings 14 of novel design such as those shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. These rings are formed in such a manner so as to provide a continuous ring surface around the entire circumference of butt 11, which is made possible by the method of joining the ends of the rings in overlapping relationship. The ends of the rings which join in this manner have on opposite sides thereof a portion of the ring surface slabbed or removed as at 15 in FIG. 4 which is equal to one-half the thickness of the ring thus permitting the ends of said rings to be positioned in the same plane as the remaining portion of the rings encircling the butt 11.

The ends of the rings are provided with sufficient clearance away from shoulders 16 to enable them to expand and contract as hithertofore described and still maintain a continuous ring surface around the butt, at least the outermost circumference of the ring being substantially continuous and uninterrupted.

FIG. 2 shows a filling bobbin with conventional type rings -17 applied to the butt portion. These rings being of the split type present a gap between the ends of the rings which when assembled on a bobbin are usually positioned so that the gaps are equally spaced about the periphery of the butt. Should migration of the rings develop, it is very possible for the gaps of the rings to become aligned as shown in FIG. 2 and if the bobbin is in a transferring position whereby these gaps are in line with the gripping notches of the shuttle spring an improper transfer of the bobbin would result with possible damage to the relating pants working in conjunction therewith.

FIG. 3 shows a filling bobbin having rings of the instant invention applied thereto and the position they could possibly assume should ring migration develop due to contraction of the bobbin butt. These rings are assembled in the conventional manner by equal spacing of the joining surfaces of the ends of said rings about the periphery of the butt; however, should these surfaces become aligned as illustrated in FIG. 3 no problem would be introduced as these mating surfaces present a continuous ring surface that offers \a sufficient amount of surface to properly cooperate with the gripping notches of the shuttle spring.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A bobbin for automatic bobbin changing looms, said bobbin including a butt and a barrel portion extending therefrom, said butt having a plurality of circumferential grooves, said grooves having received therein 10 circular metallic rings which completely encircle the circumference of said butt and which have two endsin overlapping relationship, said ends of each of said rings being slabbed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the bobbin to provide two reduced end portions of substantially uniform cross section in face-to-face contact with each other, the outermost circumference of each ring being substantially continuous and uninterrupted.

2. The bobbin of claim 1 wherein a shoulder is formed between the slabbed and unslabbed portions of said ends, the extremity of each end, terminating short of the shoulder formed in the opposite end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 765,088 Lemyre July 12, 1904 811,620 Cumnock Feb. 6, 1906' 2,103,837 Wakefield Dec. 28, 1937' 2,288,676 Blanchard July 7, 1942 2,337,438 Amrhein Dec. 21, 1943 2,410,951 Kuhnl Nov; 12, 1946 2,463,166 Geier-et a1 Mar. 1. 1949 

1. A BOBBIN FOR AUTOMATIC BOBBIN CHANGING LOOMS, SAID BOBBIN INCLUDING A BUTT AND A BARREL PORTION EXTENDING THEREFROM, SAID BUTT HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVES, SAID GROOVES HAVING RECEIVED THEREIN CIRCULAR METALLIC RINGS WHICH COMPLETELY ENCIRCLE THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID BUTT AND WHICH HAVE TWO ENDS IN OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP, SAID ENDS OF EACH OF SAID RINGS BEING SLABBED IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF THE BOBBIN TO PROVIDE TWO REDUCED END PORTIONS OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM CROSS SECTION IN FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, THE OUTERMOST CIRCUMFERENCE OF EACH RING BEING SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS AND UNINTERRUPTED. 